Editing Reduction of Risk Potential – RN Practice Questions (section)

==Question 14==
A client with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy is receiving lactulose. Which finding best indicates a therapeutic response?
# The client has two to three soft stools daily and is oriented to person, place, and time.
# The client reports relief of abdominal bloating.
# The serum albumin has risen from 2.4 to 2.6 g/dL.
# The client has had no stool in 24 hours and reports less cramping.

'''Answer:''' Option 1. The client has two to three soft stools daily and is oriented to person, place, and time.

''Rationale:'' Lactulose lowers serum ammonia by trapping it in the bowel and eliminating it in stool. The dose is titrated to produce roughly two to three soft stools per day, and improving mental status is the definitive measure of effectiveness. Option 4 indicates an inadequate dose. Option 2 is nonspecific. Option 3 reflects synthetic liver function and nutrition rather than the drug's action, and the change is minimal.